What happened to Paul Williams on The Young and the Restless? Explained

Paul Williams, portrayed by Doug Davidson, debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1978 and was one of the soap’s longest-running characters. Although he last appeared in 2020, fans hoped he might return after the recent death of his on-screen daughter, Heather Stevens, in October 2024.

However, the show has not confirmed his return, and Davidson has spoken about his character being written off without notice. In an interview for SoapHub in 2023, this was the actor's response when asked if he would ever come back on The Young and the Restless:

"At this point ... probably not. It'll be three years in October [2023]."

Currently, Paul remains offscreen on the soap. He was written off and said to be out of town and no longer in Genoa City on the 50th anniversary of the show.

---

What was Paul Williams' story on The Young and the Restless? Character arc explored

Paul Williams in a still from The Young and the Restless (via CBS)

Paul Williams was born to Carl and Mary Williams. and introduced on The Young and the Restless in 1978. He briefly dated Nikki Reed (now Newman) before he had a daughter Heather with April Stevens. He then started his private investigative agency and married Lauren Fenmore, all in his early days in the story. Later, he also separated from Lauren.

Paul married Christine Blair, but they split as she prioritized her career while he wanted a family. Later, he married Isabella Braña, with whom he had a son, Ricky. Isabella grew jealous of Christine and tried to frame her, but Paul stopped her and saved Christine.

In 2008, Paul’s investigation led him to his sister, Patty Williams, who kidnapped and stabbed him. Though he persuaded her to surrender, Patty later escaped by impersonating Emily Peterson, keeping the real Emily imprisoned. Jack Abbott helped Paul rescue Emily from Patty’s captivity.

Paul then started dating Nina Webster and found out that her son had been stolen from her many years ago when she was a teenager. Paul volunteered to find him and discovered that he had been adopted into the Lansing family and named Aiden Lansing. Nina thanked Paul for his help, even though they broke up shortly before he found her son.

Paul Williams in a still from The Young and the Restless (via CBS)

In 2012, Paul faced problems with his son Ricky's actions after he caused Heather to lose her job. Even as both of them tried to forgive Ricky, he was accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend Daisy Carter. While Ricky was escaping, Paul shot his own son in the shoulder to stop him from hurting anyone. However, Ricky ended up falling out through a window and to his death because of the shot. Paul was briefly charged with attempted murder but later declared innocent.

In 2013, Paul reconnected with Christine, and they married the same year. He also became the police chief of Genoa City. Around this time, it was revealed that Nikki's son, Dylan, was actually Paul's biological son, not Ian Ward’s. After learning this, Ian threatened Nikki and her family before going on the run. Paul then used Dylan as bait to capture Ian, ultimately helping the police arrest him and ensuring his family's safety.

Paul and Christine then started trying to have a baby, and Christine announced her pregnancy soon after. However, she got involved in a car crash where Nikki Newman ran into her by accident. She was hospitalized and survived her injuries, but miscarried the baby.

Since then, Paul's appearances as a major character on The Young and the Restless began to fade. Soon, he and Christine were written off from the soap and said to have left town in 2020.

---

Audiences can watch The Young and the Restless streaming online via CBS and Paramount+. New episodes of the soap are released on all weekdays.